かわた

か

わ

た

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

eta; lowly people (Edo period)

usually written using kana alonederogatoryarchaic

Archaic derogatory term for members of the outcast community during the Edo period, historically associated with leatherworking and other 'unclean' trades. Now considered highly offensive and replaced by terms like 被差別部落民 in modern discourse.

Kanji

皮pelt, skin, hide
田rice field, rice paddy
多many, frequent, much
川stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)
革leather, skin, reform
河river

Related words

穢え多た
Another historical derogatory term for the same outcast group; かわた is sometimes considered a synonym or a regional variant, but both are archaic and offensive.

Built from

皮かわ+田た

Written forms

皮かわ田た
Rare kanji spelling; not common.
皮かわ多た
Rare kanji spelling.
川かわ田た
Rare kanji spelling.
革かわ多た
Rare kanji spelling.
革かわ田た
Rare kanji spelling.
河かわ田た
Rare kanji spelling.

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain; the term likely originated as a designation for people involved in leatherworking (皮) in certain areas, but its historical development is complex and tied to the Edo-period class system.